Indian Trains

Open:  The trains operate all year.

Location:  India has a vast rail network, dating back to 1853. It operates both long distance and suburban routes on a multi-gauge network that has about 40,000 miles of track.

Classes & Accommodation:  There are several classes of travel, some with and some without air conditioning. Trains may have just one or several classes of travel.  The Duronto and Shatabadi trains have only air conditioned classes and food is included in the fare. Luxury trains such as the Palace on Wheels have luxurious suite accommodation. We tend to book one of two classes for overnight train journeys, 1^st class air conditioned carriage and 2^nd class air conditioned carriage. 1^st class have 2 and 4 berth compartments. The berths are comfortable and relatively spacious, 2^nd class carriages are open plan, with curtains used to separate bays. There are 2 upper and 2 lower berths in one bay on one side of the aisle and 1 upper and 1 lower berth in the bay on the other side of the aisle. The berths are smaller than those in 1^st class.  In both classes bedding is included in the fare. The carriages are kept pretty clean. Each carriage has both western style and squat toilets usually in a reasonably good condition. It is recommended to take your own toilet paper.

Facilities:  Unless traveling on the Duronto, Shatabadi or Rajdhani Express trains or on one of the luxury trains, meals are not included in the fare. Long distance trains usually have a pantry car or an attendant selling food and drinks that can be eaten at your berth. We generally advise that people eat before boarding the train or get a packed meal from their hotel to take with them , as the quality of food offered on board can be variable. Alcoholic drinks are not served on or permitted to be taken onto Indian trains. 

Children:  Children can travel on Indian trains and pay a discounted fare.

Health:  We recommend malarial prophylactics for travel to India.

Communication:  There is no Wi-Fi internet access on Indian trains, but there are plans to introduce this service on some express trains.  Some luxury trains, such as the Palace on Wheels, do have Wi-Fi internet access.